Hank — Roleplayer Guild

The arrows, fired from the top of the walls by a motley collection of mercenaries and city guards, had little effect on the armored giants. Niernen slowly climbed the last of the stairs and positioned herself between some of the archers. Garm followed, making small noises, swinging its pincered head from side to side. It could smell the death stench that cloyed the air. Some of the archers glanced aside to give Niernen a weird look and one of them was about to say something. "Focus! I'm friendly," she hissed, and they turned their attention back to the scene in front of them. The Dunmer woman took a second to familiarize herself with the battlefield, eyes widening at the amount of blood and gore already scattered on the docks. Scenes flashed before her eyes momentarily but she steeled herself and pushed those thoughts out of her mind. 

She had signed up with the mercenary company just last night. The Redguard commander, whose name already escaped her, had seemed a little skeptical of Niernen at first but allowed her to sign on after she demonstrated some of her fire magic. The whole bunch had seemed extraordinary to her. As far as warriors went she'd only ever been familiar with the Redoran army and their Argonian opponents three years ago. These men and women were all sorts, from all over Tamriel, and seemed to have little cohesion. While they caroused and celebrated something (possibly their survival?), Niernen had retreated to her room and rested. Such frivolous expenditure of energy was beyond her these days. 

Several of them were down there now, up close with the armored monsters, taking them down one by one. Niernen had to admit she was impressed by their daring and bravado. She saw a big Nord and another Dunmer, now carrying crates back to the gate; she had no idea why but presumed it was useful. Closer to her where several others, waiting to assist, including a thin-looking Imperial. The remaining armored giants had banded together, it seemed, and started moving forward. 

Niernen was almost tempted to convince the defenders on the wall to spare their arrows, but she supposed that a lucky strike between the armored plating of the giants might help. 

Fire, however, might be a different story. "Make room!" she said and lifted her left hand, a purple vortex of magical energy forming around her fingers. Alarmed, the defenders made space on the wall, and Niernen released her spell. The barrier between Nirn and Oblivion tore open for a moment and a Flame Atronach coalesced, floating several inches above the ground, heating up the air around it and melting the snow beneath it. Niernen heard a few curses but paid the other defenders no mind. Just you wait, she thought to herself. Using her right hand to cast, the Dunmer and the Atronach started lobbing Fireball spells at the giants. The spells exploded where they struck, scattering flames over the armored shapes, who reeled in confusion. The detonations weren't powerful enough to knock them down but it gave them pause, and the magical fire ate away at the armor before sizzling out. 

The flames didn't last long enough to do any serious damage, but the giants seemed to be rather afraid of it regardless. They backed away a little bit and raised their arms over their heads. Much to Niernen's satisfaction, the advance of the giants was thus slowed, buying more time for the defenders down there to collect the crates. I wonder what's in them? she thought to herself while she readied another Fireball spell. With her free hand she felt at her waist, counting three filled magicka potion vials. Enough to last a while, but not forever. She would run out of magicka eventually. 

The whole thing seemed rather confusing. Niernen had no idea who they were fighting or why they were attacking Windhelm. Hell, she wasn't even sure if defending the city was something they were being paid for, though it was undoubtedly the right thing to do. "Someone better have a good explanation for this," she muttered under her breath, and a guard standing next to her grunted his assent. 

Inspired by Niernen's display, the archers on the wall resumed their volleys, and a spectacularly lucky strike hit one of the giants in the neck. The arrow embedded itself deep into the creature's flesh and it howled in pain. "The first one to do that three more times gets a drink," Niernen said with a smile, and the archers chuckled. Niernen glanced at the people carrying crates again and frowned. Hurry up and do something else so I can try to deduce what your plan is.

Niernen Venim

Female Dunmer | 31 | The Serpent

Basic Information:

Place of Origin: Blacklight, Morrowind. 

Appearance: Though probably not everyone's cup of tea, Niernen is an attractive woman by Dunmeri standards. Her eyes are large and expressive and have an unusual coppery hue to them, diluting the crimson iris that is so characteristic of her race. They are supported by prominent cheekbones; beneath that, Niernen's face narrows sharply, sporting a small chin and gaunt cheeks, though her jawline is well-defined. A ruddy scar runs over her left eye and cheek, almost touching the corner of her mouth. Niernen's lips are lush and display a peaked Cupid's bow. She takes pride in (and good care of) her hair, which is long and dark. Niernen usually wears it swept back, tucked away behind her ears, resting on her shoulders. Her body is rather conventional; neither thin nor overly curvy, not whipcord muscled nor flabby. However, if one got the chance to see her undressed they'd be able to tell faint scarring on her chest, abdomen and back, caused by wicked Argonian warblades. Niernen stands at 5'6", which makes her rather short for a Dunmeri woman. 

Background: Born to parents that held influential positions in House Redoran, Niernen Venim came second to a favored son. Her birth under the sign of the Serpent was considered bad omen by Redoran traditions, and hopes for Niernen weren't high. Though she was by no means ever abused, her brother Narzul was a tough act to follow and her parents could be blind in their devotion. Niernen was always quietly bitter about this but didn't act out against her brother in any way; in fact, she was very fond of him herself. Besides, it wasn't his fault he was such a good son. 

While Narzul was rather obviously being groomed to take his father's place as House Father, Niernen was left mostly to her own devices and became determined to excel somewhere her brother didn't. Narzul's martial prowess was stellar, as befitting a son of House Redoran, but Niernen's short stature and natural ineptitude with weapons prevented her from matching up to him. It is often said that Dunmer have three talents; the blade, the shadow and the flame. Niernen wanted to focus on the last. 

Whether a sign of love or casual disregard Niernen couldn't figure out, but her parents allowed her to pursue an education in Destruction magic with the war-wizards of House Redoran. She traveled all over Morrowind for this, apprenticing for several such war-wizards. Because of their rarity, they were posted all over the province. One of them was able to teach her a little about Conjuration as well, especially how to summon and bound a Flame Atronach, and they all knew a little Alteration for general utility. A sympathetic Temple Priest taught her a few things about Restoration. 

Niernen returned to Blacklight when she was 27. She was now reasonably skilled, far from a master, but remarkable for her age nonetheless. For the first time in her life, Niernen got to experience what it was like for her father to be impressed by something she had achieved after demonstrating her Flame Cloak spell. Narzul had risen to the rank of House Cousin on his own merits by now and the two siblings remained very supportive of each other. 

Life seemed to trundle along on its scheduled course when the Nerevarine unexpectedly returned to Morrowind, intending to take the title of High King. Niernen was far too young to have been alive when the Nerevarine first appeared but she'd grown up with the stories, of course -- her ancestor, Bolvyn Venim, had been Archmaster of House Redoran at the time, and the Nerevarine had murdered him in a duel for that title. The Venim family never forgave the Nerevarine for that act, and while he was worshiped as a saint in the Dunmeri pantheon Niernen's father disapproved highly of the Nerevarine's claim to the throne. Openly opposing him was political suicide, however, so this particular Redoran family was forced to watch as the Nerevarine wrestled power away from their Great House (again) and became High King of all the Dunmer people. 

Her father expected some kind of aggression from the Nerevarine towards the Venim family, but none came. Perhaps the Nerevarine had forgotten about the last name of the man he had to slay in his quest to become Hortator -- Bolvyn Venim was, after all, merely one of many on a mound of corpses the Neverarine had left in his wake. Seeing no reason to further hold that event against her new High King, Niernen obeyed the decree to aid in the rebuilding of the province, much to her father's chagrin. She didn't do it because she cared about the province, really, or the Nerevarine's ambitions. No, she merely wanted to prove the usefulness of her arcane studies. Narzul also participated, though this was decided to be politically necessary if the Venim family was to remain relevant. The two traveled to the south of Morrowind with a contingent of the Redoran army and joined the raids on Black Marsh. 

Determination alone wasn't enough to completely repell the horrors of war. Niernen had never raised her magic against another person before and she was having difficulty processing the consequences. Narzul would lead the charge against the Argonians while Niernen and a conjured Flame Atronach lobbed fireballs at designated targets from a safe distance. From so far away it wasn't so bad, but being confronted with the charred, twisted corpses of Argonians she encountered on the battlefield afterwards haunted her dreams. Narzul was blind to her turmoil and merely proud of his sister, Niernen the battlemage. 

It was fantastic practice however, and Niernen continued to develop her skills rapidly. She contributed significantly to a victory in the fight for Stormhold's gates, blanketing the area just inside the city walls with flames through a small hole in the gate, forcing the Argonian defenders back and allowing siege units to knock the gate down. Niernen started making a real name for herself and saw herself rise through the ranks of House Redoran on her own merits. This, and the encouragement from her brother, was enough for Niernen to persist. 

Misfortune struck during an assault near the city of Thorn. The thick jungle-marsh prevented the Dunmer from anticipating a flanking strike and Niernen was almost asssassinated by a pair of Shadowscales. The two Argonians killed Niernen's bodyguards in the initial strike and struck her with quick jabs from their twisted daggers. Overcome with adrenaline, Niernen seared them both with gouts of hot flame, burning brighter than they ever had, but the Shadowscales were high on Hist sap and unstoppable. Within seconds, Niernen had been stabbed several times, including a horrific gash in the left side of her face, and collapsed. One of the Shadowscales made the mistake of stabbing the Flame Atronach through the chest; it exploded violently, killing the Argonians and knocking Niernen unconscious. 

Narzul, having heard the detonation, abandoned his post at the head of the battle and rushed to save his sister. A retreat was organized and the Redoran army back off from Thorn momentarily. Niernen's life was saved by the combined efforts of seven Temple Priests; the daggers used to wound her were coated with a potent poison that was rapidly turning her insides to goop and an enormous amount of magicka was required to reverse the damage. 

Alas, Niernen would never be quite the same. She was permanently weakened and her entire body hurt if she overexerted herself. Narzul was reprimanded for his actions in putting his sister's life over the success of the entire battle, but allowed to remain. Niernen was sent home with a commendation for valor in the face of mortal danger, but it was merely a small comfort. She was ashamed of having been a burden to her brother and traumatized by the near-death experience; the images of the Shadowscales, moving like frenzied blurs to inflict maximum damage, undeterred by the fire eating away at their flesh, was never far from her mind's eye. It took her more than a year to recover enough to start leaving the house in Blacklight. At first, short walks would leave her exhausted and gasping for air, but by the start of 4E 204 she had regained most of her former range of mobility, provided she didn't start to run. Most of the scarring had faded away except for the cut over her eye. It wasn't considered life-threatening at the time so little magicka was dedicated to repairing the damage by the Temple Priests, and it was too difficult to fix after the fact. 

In 4E 205, the decree was lifted and Narzul returned home. He had served with distinction and replaced his father as House Father of the Great House Redoran, who gladly retired and started dedicating his time to literary pursuits and woodcrafting. 

Tired of sitting at home like some kind of sickly woman, Niernen resolved to resume traveling and developing her abilities. She was also determined to face her fears and overcome them; it seemed to her that the nightmares weren't going away on their own. Narzul protested fiercely but Niernen had made up her mind. She promised to be cautious and brought one of the family's Nix-hounds with her, a fine specimen named Garm, who could protect her during a spell of weakness. Niernen traveled west, to Skyrim, and found herself applying for a mercenary company in the city of Windhelm, somewhat to her own bewilderment. 

Personality: By nature, Niernen is resourceful, intelligent, witty, stubborn and kind-hearted. These traits are all inherent to her mind and personality and haven't changed over the years. She takes to new knowledge quickly, enjoys conversing at an engaging level, is quick to improvise when faced with problems, becomes nearly impossible to sway after she's made up her mind about a course of action, and tries to treat the people she meets with respect and compassion -- even 'outlanders'. She never thought highly of the xenophobia inherent to the Dunmer of Morrowind. 

However, the course of her life has brought some nuance to all of the above. While still headstrong, she used to be far more so and has relented a lot after her injuries in Blackmarsh. Her confidence was significantly shaken by the whole ordeal and she struggles to regain her former level of self-assuredness. Brutality suffered at the hands of the Kamal have put another, even larger dent in her. Without moral and emotional support of her friends and comrades Niernen would undoubtedly relapse into powerful depression and anxiety, and she is vulnerable to horrific nightmares and flashbacks. 

As for interpersonal relationships, Niernen gets along well with most people except Argonians and still finds it difficult to look at them, let alone have a proper conversation, due to strong feelings of guilt. The struggles she is dealing with internally (something that can only be described as post-traumatic stress disorder and soldier's remorse) make it difficult for her to be entirely honest about who she is, but she craves understanding and compassion all the same. This creates a deep-seated sense of vulnerability that she struggles to cope with. 

She's proud of her magical abilities and relies on them heavily, refusing to carry physical weapons into combat, and resorts to telekinesis for heavy lifting. Because she was born into a wealthy, aristocratic family Niernen has no idea what it's like to be a peasant and may occasionally make off-the-cuff remarks that reflect this ignorance. Her greatest pleasures are fine dining, magical discoveries and moonlit nights, while her biggest peeves are uncultered brutes, the sight of knives and physical exertion. She worships the Reclamations.

Capabilities:

Skills: 
Expert: Destruction.
Adept: Alteration and Conjuration.
Apprentice: Restoration, Light Armor, Alchemy.
Novice: Tailoring, Speech, Enchanting. 
Weaknesses: 
Purity of Magic: Niernen carries no weapons on her and is entirely reliant on her magic, especially now that she's physically incapable of throwing a solid punch. 

Foot in the Grave: Niernen came so close to death after the Shadowscale assassination attempt that she never fully recovered. The poisons took a hefty toll on her physical fortitude, reducing her strength to that of a child's and her endurance to that of an elder with rockjoint. She cannot march long distances, lift anything heavier than a sword or throw something larger than a pebble. Most of these inconveniences can be worked around with magic, but she's dead weight after her magicka is spent. Riding on horseback also doesn't solve the long-distance travel problem entirely, as it takes a lot of energy to merely stay seated; carriages, on the other hand, are ideal. 

Mind Schism: Niernen hasn't overcome the mental trauma of her attack and is susceptible to moments of fear and weakness during combat, especially if the enemy combatants were to get close to her. This has only become worse after her capture and enslavement at the hands of the Kamal and now that her Nix-hound, Garm, is dead, Niernen is reliant on others to protect her from physical harm and highly susceptible to flashbacks and panic attacks. 

Spells: 
Destruction: Niernen commands most Fire-variety Destruction spells, though she favors Fireball from a distance and Incinerate on closer targets. Wall of Flames sees occasional use in large confrontations. Fire Storm is beyond her grasp. With great concentration, she can create fierce flames that burn so hot it causes an involuntary retreat in most targets, mimicking the Intense Flames perk from Skyrim.

Alteration: Telekinesis, Magelight and Detect Life for general utility. Stoneflesh in a pinch. 

Conjuration: Flame Atronach, Flaming Familiar. 

Restoration: Fast Healing, Healing Hands, Turn Lesser Undead. 

Combat Style: Niernen staunchly refuses to engage her enemies up close unless absolutely forced to. She prefers to lob Fireballs at her enemies from a distance, preferably from a high vantage point, in support of other armed forces. She will often summon a Flame Atronach to double the rate of fire. She has never wielded a weapon into battle and isn't about to start now; not that it would do much good, what with her condition. If presented with an overwhelming force her tactic is to spray Wall of Flames as far as possible and retreat. 

Other Capabilities: Niernen can read Daedric runes and speaks the Dunmeri language, something her father insisted on while she was growing up.

Relations and Affiliations: Narzul and the rest of her family in Blacklight. She was on friendly terms with all of her magic teachers when she left them, though some of them probably don't even remember her anymore. 

Do'Karth: This Khajiit has quickly become Niernen's new favorite person in the world. His capacity for kindness, compassion and good humor has made him an invaluable friend that helps her deal with the trauma Niernen has suffered in Blackmarsh and at the hands of the Kamal. She is, however, unaware of Do'Karth's dark past and holds a distorted view of the nomad as being representative of all that is good in the world. Now that she's accidentally revealed more to him about her feelings than she meant to do, she's unsure how their friendship will continue, and she is a little worried about how savagely he beat up Leif.

Leif Raven-Stone: A hopelessly romantic fool with a dangerous capacity for jealousy, Niernen nonetheless believes that the Nord has a heart of gold and there's potential for him to become a more wholesome man. She enjoyed talking with him and will definitely try to get to know him better in the future.

Sadri Beleth: The man is a walking reminder of her time in Black Marsh, but he seems like a capable mercenary and his budding relationship with Solveig is endlessly endearing.

Narzul Venim: She loves her brother dearly, but Niernen is very disappointed and hurt by his fiercely backwards and unsympathetic opinions. She always knew that her brother was much more like the old guard of the Dunmer, but she never expected he would be this harsh now that she's fallen on the wrong side of his convictions.

Inventory:

Cash: Currently none.

Keys and Lockpicks: No lockpicks. Several keys, to such places as her house in Blacklight and the family coffers. 

Clothing and Armor: Niernen wears a traditional Dunmer tunic beneath a set of form-fitting, lightweight leather armor, sans the helmet. She picked up a pale gray traveling cloak during her escape from Windhelm and she now wears it around her shoulders. It's clasped at her throat and so large that it obscures her form completely if she withdraws her arms beneath the folds of the robe and the large hood can hide her face in the dark. 

Weapon and Ammunition: No weapons and no ammunition whatsoever. 

Potion and Arcane Supplies: Several small, thin vials to hold magicka potions (currently empty) and the ingredients to make more in a pouch at her waist, though she lacks the equipment to do so while on the road.

Jewelry and Novelty Items: A Redoran signet ring on the ring finger of her left hand and a necklace given to her by her brother. She also carries a rosette, awarded for valor in the face of mortal danger, in her breast pocket. The signet ring is enchanted with a mild feather effect to help counteract the weakness of her condition. 

Books and Documents: She lost all of her books and currently travels paperless. 

Food, Drinks, Provisions: An empty hip flask that previously held sujamma to help calm her nerves and no food -- it's all run out. 

Bags, Pouches, Packs: Several waist pouches to hold her alchemical ingredients, potion vials and money. Niernen also had a leather backpack that held her books and her map, but these have been lost.

Other: Nothing I can think of.

Hank Moderator

Dionysian Mystery

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